iPhone 6

Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, debuted September 19, 2014

By MacRumors Staff on August 30, 2016

At a Glance

Apple introduced the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus on September 9, 2014, launching both devices in the first wave of countries on September 19. Along with larger screens and a completely new iPad-style design with an ultra thin body and rounded corners, the two phones offered faster processors, better cameras, and NFC for Apple Pay support.

Apple launched two new iPhones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, in September of 2014. Along with larger screens and a completely new iPad-style design with an ultra thin body and rounded corners, the two new phones offer faster processors, better cameras, and NFC for Apple's Apple Pay payment system.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus originally came in Gold, Silver, and Space Gray in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities. The iPhone 6 pricing started at $199 on contract or $649 without contract, while the iPhone 6 Plus pricing started at $299 on contract or $749 without contract. With the release of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in September 2015, Apple reduced prices on the older iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models by $100 and eliminated Gold as a color option. Only Silver and Space Gray remain available.

While both models include the same 64-bit A8 chip and the same general design, there are several differences between the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 measures in at 6.9mm, while the iPhone 6 Plus is slightly thicker at 7.1mm. Apple's iPhone 6 Plus also has three major differentiating factors: optical image stabilization for the camera, and a longer battery life, and an iPad-style landscape mode that displays more content on the screen.

Though the iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilization, both phones got some major camera improvements in form of sensor upgrades, improved tone mapping, better noise reduction, and new "Focus Pixel" technology, which improves the phone's ability to select autofocus points. For videos, there's a new 240fps slo-mo option, along with support for shooting in 1080p at 60fps. The front-facing camera was also upgraded, with an f/2.2 aperture that lets in more light and new burst mode capabilities.

Both phones have an impressive "Retina HD Display," with the iPhone 6 featuring a resolution of 1334 x 750 (326 ppi) and the iPhone 6 Plus featuring a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi).

Design wise, the phones more closely resemble the iPad and the iPod touch than the iPhone 5s. Both models have soft, rounded corners and a curved glass screen that melds smoothly into the thin metal body of the device. The volume buttons on the left side of the device are pill-shaped, and the power button is located on the right side of the device for easier one-handed use.

To further make its devices easier to use one-handed, Apple added in a double tap (not press) home button gesture called "Reachability," which moves items from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen for quick access.

Other new features in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus included Wi-Fi calling support, faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and support for Voice over LTE (VoLTE).

How to Buy

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus launched on September 19, 2014 in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Singapore, following pre-orders that began on Friday, September 12. On Friday, September 26, Apple expanded iPhone 6 and 6 Plus availability to more than 20 additional countries, including New Zealand, Italy, Denmark, and Taiwan, and on October 17, the two devices became available in China, India and Monaco. Later in the month of October, Apple expanded availability to 33 additional countries.

Apple sells the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus both online and in its retail stores, as well as through carrier partners and other resellers in countries around the world.

Since the launch of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the iPhone 6 is now available in the U.S. in 16, 64, and 128GB capacities, priced at $99, $199, and $299, respectively, with a two-year contract. The iPhone 6 Plus is available in 16, 64, and 128GB capacities and is priced $100 higher at $199, $299, and $399, respectively. Both the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus are available in Space Gray and Silver, with a previous Gold option having been discontinued in September 2015.

iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 6s Buyer's Guide

Planning to upgrade to an iPhone 6 or 6s and need help figuring out which model to buy?

Make sure to check out our iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 6s Buyer's Guide, which walks through all of the available features on each device and the differences between them. It'll help you choose the best iPhone, whether you're upgrading from an iPhone 5s or earlier or trying to decide whether to upgrade from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 6s.

Issues

Touch Disease

A number of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices appear to be suffering from a latent manufacturing issue called "Touch Disease," which prevents as a gray flickering bar at the top of the screen and a display that's unresponsive or less responsive to touch.

Touch Disease appears to occur when the chips that power the touch screen become dislodged from the logic board due to stress on the iPhone. Touch Disease can only be fixed by replacing the logic board or re-soldering the loose chips on the board, something that can only be done by skilled repair technicians. For those experiencing the issue with a device under warranty, a device replacement from Apple should be sought.

Consumers have levied a class action lawsuit against Apple, which could potentially spur the company to offer free Touch Disease replacements and repairs.

Bendgate

Shortly after the iPhone 6 Plus was released on September 19, 2014, reports of the device bending when placed in a pocket began to surface. One user, for example, reported slight bending after the iPhone was in a pocket for approximately 18 hours, and after that, several other reports trickled in.

Inspired by the reports of bending, a YouTuber created a video depicting him bending the iPhone 6 Plus with his hands, causing significant damage to the device. The video went viral, and began people worrying about bending the iPhone 6 Plus in their pockets.

It is important to note when watching the video above that the amount of pressure placed on the device is unlikely to be replicated in daily usage. While images have depicted slight bending, there has been no extreme warpage in the casing due to carrying the device in a pocket.

Affected users have reported that Apple has replaced devices that have bent. As shown in another video, the iPhone 6 Plus is less vulnerable to bending when placed in a rigid case, and users can also avoid bending the iPhone by removing it from a pocket before sitting down.

A followup bending video featuring the iPhone 6 demonstrated that the smaller-screened device is much harder to bend and therefore likely less vulnerable to bending when placed inside of a pocket.

In response to all of the media attention that the iPhone 6 Plus bending issues garnered, Apple released a statement to several different sites saying that with normal use, bending in the iPhone is "extremely rare." The company said that only nine customers had complained about a bent iPhone 6 Plus.

In addition to releasing a statement, Apple also invited several reporters to visit its the facility where the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are subjected to several different tests to ensure strength and durability. As described in reports, the iPhones go through five different tests, including pressure point cycling, three-point bend tests, torsion testing, sit tests, and real-life testing scenarios where Apple employees use the devices.

According to Apple's head engineer Dan Riccio, the iPhone 6 was "the most tested product" Apple's ever created. The company reportedly conducted 15,000 tests on the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple's head of marketing Phil Schiller said that bending was extremely rare, and that the company had "designed the product to be incredibly reliable throughout all your real world use."

Consumer reports went on to test the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus after reports of bending, and found that the two devices are not quite as bendable as the media has suggested. In a three-point flexural test, the iPhone 6 Plus withstood 90 pounds of force before bending, while the iPhone 6 withstood 70 pounds of force, which is more force than the two devices are likely to be subjected to during daily use.

According to Consumer Reports, though the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are not indestructible, they "should stand up to typical use."

Crashing Issues

iPhone 6 Plus Camera

In August of 2015, Apple launched an iSight Camera Replacement Program for the iPhone 6 Plus to fix a small number of iPhone 6 plus devices with a faulty rear-facing camera module that causes photos to look blurry. The problem affects iPhone 6 Plus units that were sold between September 2014 and January 2015 and is the result of a component failure.

The problem may be related to the Optical Image Stabilization in the larger-screened device, as the iPhone 6, which does not have Optical Image Stabilization, is not affected.

In More Detail

Design

Measuring in at 4.7 and 5.5-inches, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus dwarf earlier iPhone models, but at the same time, the two phones became Apple's thinnest yet, measuring in at 6.9 and 7.1mm, respectively. For comparison's sake, the iPhone 5s was 7.6mm thick.

According to Apple, the thinner profile was made possible by the company's "thinnest display yet," which is made of slightly curved glass designed to flow seamlessly into the body of the device to highlight the "Retina HD" screen of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Both devices include prominent antenna bands on the back enclosure, along with a protruding rear lens. The volume buttons are pill-shaped, much like the buttons on the iPad Air, and the power button has been relocated to the right side of the device.

The iPhone 6 measures in at 5.44 inches long and 2.64 inches wide, and weighs 4.55 ounces. The iPhone 6 measures in at 6.22 inches long and 3.06 wide, weighing 6.07 ounces. In comparison, the iPhone 5s is 4.87 inches long, 2.31 inches wide, and it weighs 3.95 ounces.

Retina HD Display

iPhone 6 rumors largely suggested Apple would use a sapphire display cover in the device, but that turned out to be false. Instead, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus use "ion-strengthened" glass with an improved polarizer (for better outdoor viewing), a photo aligned IPS liquid crystal display, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display with a "2x" resolution of 1334 x 740 (326 ppi) while the iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch "3x" resolution of 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi). Both phones are said to offer higher contrast, better brightness, and improved white balance.

According to a test conducted by DisplayMate, the iPhone 6 Plus display was the "best smartphone LCD ever tested" at the time. The iPhone 6 display also received high marks.

Apple has implemented several "Reachability" features in iOS to improve the viewing experience on its larger devices, including Display Zoom and landscape view (iPhone 6 Plus only). Display Zoom lets users zoom in to get a closer view at their apps, while standard zoom displays more content on the screen.

Landscape view on the iPhone 6 Plus is designed to make the most of the 5.5-inch screen and to help users be more productive. When in landscape mode, the device displays apps like Mail, Calendar, and Stocks in a wider view similar to the way they're displayed on the iPad.

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus take advantage of dual domain pixels, which improves viewing angles. AnandTech has given an in-depth overview of dual domain pixels, explaining that the technology alludes to the fact that the electrodes in the pixels are not all aligned. Instead, the pixels are "skewed when viewed from the perspective of the lines defined by the rectangular edges of the display," allowing them to compensate for uneven lighting.

Battery Life

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus both offer improved battery life, but due to the larger size of iPhone 6 Plus, it is able to accommodate a larger battery. The iPhone 6 has an 1,810 mAh battery, while the iPhone 6 Plus has a battery capacity of 2,915 mAh.

Because it has a bigger battery, the iPhone 6 Plus has a longer battery life than the smaller iPhone 6. 3G talk time for the iPhone 6 Plus is at 24 hours, compared to just 14 hours in the iPhone 6, for example, while HD video playback is at 14 hours for the iPhone 6 Plus and 11 hours for the iPhone 6.

Reviews of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus suggested that the iPhone 6 can last up to a day and a half on average, while the iPhone 6 Plus can last up to two days on a single charge. A battery life test conducted by AnandTech showed the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus beat out many competing Android devices, lasting longer than the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8. The iPhone 6 Plus had the second longest battery life of any device tested, coming in behind the Huawei Ascend Mate 2.

Despite shipping with a 1A/5W power adapter, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are capable of drawing up to 2.1A/12W of power, which means that iPhone users can likely obtain a faster charging time using an iPad adapter. According to early testing, charging with a 12W iPad adapter charges the iPhone 6 Plus in approximately two hours.

A8 Chip and M8 Motion Coprocessor

Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus have an 64-bit A8 processor built on a 20-nanometer process by TSMC. Not only is the chip smaller than the A7 in the iPhone 5s, it's also able to deliver 25 percent faster CPU performance while being 50 percent more energy efficient.

The A8 takes full advantage of Metal, Apple's gaming technology that lets developers create console-style games on the iPhone. According to Apple, Metal is designed to let the GPU and CPU work together to provide detailed graphics and complex visual effects, which means gaming on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is going to be better than ever.

Alongside the A8, there's also an M8 motion coprocessor, which is the successor to the M7 motion coprocessor introduced in the iPhone 5s. The M8 measures data from the accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope, along with a barometer, which is new to the iPhone 6.

With the addition of the barometer, the M8 motion coprocessor can measure elevation in addition to steps taken and distance traveled.

AnandTech published an analysis of the A8 processor that points towards significant GPU enhancements and an enhanced Cyclone CPU at 1.4Ghz.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have topped CPU benchmarking tests (compared to competing Android devices and the iPhone 5s), but the iPhone 6 Plus lags slightly in graphics performance due to the device's larger screen.

Camera Improvements

The iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus continued to sport an 8-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera, but the addition of several new features result in vastly improved picture quality. Continuing to offer improved camera capabilities has always been a priority for Apple, with the company even opting to include a protruding lens design to avoid making image quality sacrifices for the sake of the thin design of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The first major new feature, "Focus Pixels," was designed to speed up autofocusing by providing the sensor with more information about an image, while improved auto image stabilization compensates for slight amounts of motion blur and hand shakiness. Focus Pixels vastly speed up autofocusing times and improve autofocusing in low light situations, as demonstrated in a review of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cameras.

Both phones also included improved face detection capabilities and more control over exposure, and the Panorama feature added support for high-resolution panoramic photos of up to 43 megapixels.

Video options were improved in the two devices, making it possible to capture 1080p HD video at 60fps. There was also a new 240fps slo-mo mode, as well as time-lapse video, which was introduced with iOS 8.

The iPhone 6 Plus has one slight advantage when it comes to the camera, however, as it takes advantage of the M8 motion coprocessor to offer optical image stabilization. Optical image stabilization better compensates for hand shake and slight movements in low light than standard auto image stabilization techniques.

Along with rear camera improvements, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus featured improved front-facing FaceTime HD cameras with a new sensor and an f/2.2 aperture. With these improvements, Apple touted the front-facing camera could capture 81 percent more light, resulting in much better low-light photos. There was also a new burst mode for the front-facing camera, which let users take burst mode selfies for the first time.

In the DxOMark tests from reputable camera testers DxO Labs, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus both scored an 82, overtaking the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2 as the best smartphone cameras in both the photo and video categories.

According to the testing, both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus performed similarly, with the site noting that both had "very good, generally reliable auto-exposure" in a range of lighting conditions and fast, accurate autofocus.

The optical image stabilization in the iPhone 6 Plus, which was a differentiating factor between the two devices, resulted in better noise performance and less ghosting on HDR images, but it did create a video stabilization artifact that ultimately led to a better score for the iPhone 6 in the video category.

Connectivity Improvements

Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus both offered faster LTE with support for LTE Advanced networks, reaching speeds of up to 150 Mbps, and they offered 20 LTE bands for better connectivity when traveling. A real-world speed test showed some impressive speed gains between the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5s when LTE Advanced was available.

The devices also included support for Voice over LTE (VoLTE) which allows users to make higher-quality phone calls over LTE. VoLTE also allows users on CDMA networks like Verizon to use voice and data simultaneously for the first time. VoLTE requires support from both Apple and carriers, and several carriers have pledged to roll out support for the service.

In addition to cellular improvements, the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus were the first of Apple's iOS devices to offer support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is able to offer connection speeds that are up to 3 times faster than previous 802.11n networks. The speed improvements possible going from the iPhone 5s to the iPhone 6 Plus can be seen in the video below.

Finally, the iPhone 6 supported calls over Wi-Fi, which can result in higher-quality calls, especially in situations where a cellular connection is low. Calling over Wi-Fi is another feature that requires carrier support, but a number of carriers have rolled out that support for the iPhone.

Memory

Other Features

Like the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus continued to offer Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint-based security system. Touch ID is used in place of a passcode on the iPhone, making it quicker to unlock the device and secure sensitive data within apps.

Touch ID is also an integral part of Apple's Apple Pay mobile payments initiative, as is the Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna built into every iPhone 6. Apple Pay is designed to allow users to pay for purchases at thousands of retail stores with just a fingerprint.

Operating System

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus initially shipped with iOS 8, the version of Apple's mobile operating system that debuted for older devices just days ahead of the iPhone 6 launch. As of September 2015, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus began shipping with iOS 9.

What's Next

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were followed by the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, which launched on September 25, 2015. More information on Apple's latest iPhones can be found in our dedicated iPhone 6s roundup.

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